Memory Disorders Program Offered to Rural Kentuckians

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 7, 2010) –Families and friends of those who suffer from memory disorders have the opportunity to attend an educational program on dementia care at 6:30 p.m. EST Jan. 21.

This month's program will involve research updates about dementia by Dr. Greg Jicha, a University of Kentucky College of Medicine assistant professor of neurology, and faculty member in the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and UK Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The program will be shown via the Kentucky TeleHealth Network at the following locations: St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead; Owensboro Medical Center in Owensboro; UK Center for Excellence in Rural Health in Hazard; Murray Calloway County Hospital in Murray; Pikeville Medical Center Library in Pikeville; Trover Clinic Auditorium in Madisonville; TJ Samson Hospital in Glasgow; Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah; and Monroe County Hospital in Tompkinsville.

The UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, UK Alzheimer's Disease Center, the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Alzheimer's Association, and the Kentucky Telecare Network joined with other Kentucky health care organizations to present the programs.

Presenters for the various programs include Jicha and staff of the UK Alzheimer's Disease Center and the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Alzheimer's Association chapter.

"The Sanders-Brown Center on Aging's state-of-the-art Alzheimer’s disease resources, care, and support belong to every Kentuckian, not just those living in Fayette County," said Jicha. "There’s strength in numbers, and our interactive videoconferencing programs allows us to link communities together, from Pikeville to Paducah, strengthening our efforts to promote quality of life for all who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease."

Other sessions have been held across the state and will continue throughout theyear. Upcoming programs include: coping with challenging behaviors; home safety; community resources: understanding and using what’s available; and long-term care placement: how to make the right choice.

"The Kentucky TeleHealth Network is pleased to bring Dr. Jicha and other experts on memory disorder problems into community health care centers across the state, making it easy for anyone who is caring for a loved one suffering from memory problems to participate in these educational sessions," said Rob Sprang, director, UK Kentucky TeleCare, and project manager, Kentucky TeleHealth Network. "These have become 'virtual support groups' that bring family caregivers together from across the state to learn and to share. We are happy to be a part of this effort."

Registration is required. To register, call the Alzheimer's Association at (800) 272-3900. For more information about the series, contact UK's Kentucky TeleCare at (859) 257-6404.